rbssdiseases - Rabies

Jessie Nyl & Karen Kresbach

Essential information:
The name of the disease

The name of the organism that causes the disease.

What kind of organism is it? (Bacteria, virus, type, size, etc.)

The effects of the disease (symptoms, target tissues, toxins, complications, etc.).

Rabies only affects mammals. They attack the brain and cause inflammation and death.
First Symptoms appear one to three months after infection.
Early symptoms are similar to the symptoms of the flu and may include fever, headache and general tiredness.
The infected person may experience discomfort, numbness or pain at the site of the bite.
Later symptoms of rabies can include things like: Anxiety, Confusion, Excitation, Agitation, Hyper salvation, difficult swallowing, insomnia, slight or partial paralysis, hallucinations and hydrophobia (fear of water)
Over the next week or so the rabies virus causes encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) and ultimately death.

What treatment is there for the disease?

Because there is no cure and death is almost certain after the symptoms start, treatment for rabies involves supportive care. (managing symptoms and making the person comfortable)
The preferred method of treatment is 5 shots of human rabies globulin (HRIG) and a single shot of rabies vaccine.
The shots must be given within 14 after the initial exposure to be 100% effective.
Rinsing the area immediately with a povitone-iodine solution is the best to do. If inaccessible, use soap and wash area for at least 5 minutes.
The doses of (HRIG) holds the virus at bay while the body mounts its own immune response with the help of vaccination.
The last step is to receive several doses of the rabies vaccine at 0,3,7,14 and 28 days past exposure.
Receiving these vaccines ensures that the body continues to actively build antibodies against the virus. It ensures that all traces of it are destroyed by the stimulated antibodies.
The key is preventing the virus from taking hold; once this occurs, it is usually fatal.

How is it transmitted? (Spread)

Rabies can only be transmitted in a few ways like: Bites, non-bite exposure and human-to-human transmission.
A bite from a rabid animal is the most common form of rabies transmission.
Non-bite exposure and human-to-human exposure are both rare.
Bites: Infected salva of an animal passed to an uninfected animal through a bite. From the saliva's point of entry, the rabies travels along the nerve cells to the brain. There it multiplies and then moves to the salivary glands.
The cycle is repeated when the animal bites a person or another animal.
Non-bites Exposure: Rabies transmission from non-bite exposure is rare
Scratches, abrasion, open wounds, or mucous membranes contaminated with saliva or other potentially infectious material from a rabid animal, constitute non-bite exposure.
Inhalation of aerosolized rabies virus is also a potential non-bite route of exposure, but with the expectation of laboratory workers, most people are unlikely to encounter an aerosol version of the rabies virus.
Human-to-human rabies transmission: Rabies that is transmitted from human to human is also extremely rare. The only well documented cases of rabies caused by human-to-human transmission occurred among eight recipients of transplanted corneas and recently among three recipients of solid organs
In addition to bite and non-bite exposures inflicted by infected humans could theoretically transmit rabies, but no such case has been documented.

How to prevent the disease? (vaccine, better hygiene, sanitation, or other methods)

There are a number of ways to prevent an infection from rabies virus. Some suggestions are important for pet owners, others involve common sense ways to avoid contact with potential rabid animals
Pet owners should keep vaccinations current for all dogs, cats and ferrets. That is important not only to keep your pets from getting rabies, but also to provide a barrier of protection for you, should your pet be bitten by a rabid wild animal.
Do not let your pet roam.Keep your pet under direct supervision minimizes the chance of them to come in contact with wild animals.
Call your local animal control agency to remove any stray animals from your neighborhood, which prevents the chance that your pet might get infected.
Spraying or neutering your pet helps to reduce the number of unwanted pets that may not be properly cared for or regularly vaccinated
People: can prevent rabies by avoiding direct contact with unfamilar animals
Enjoy wild animals at a distance, do not handle, feed, or unintentionally attract wild animals with open garbage cans or litter.
Never adopt wild animals or bring them into your home
Do not try to nurse sick animals to health. Teach children never to handle unfamiliar animals even if it appears friendly.
Seal of heeles that animals might use as entry ways into your home.
When travelling abroad, avoid direct contact with wild animals and be especially careful around dogs in developing countries.